Corn Hill

Corn Hill Poster 2013
Original Painting was 24x24
Oil on Map Covered Canvas   |   Rochester, NY
Collection of Corn Hill Association

Growing up in Rochester, you learn to pack in as much fun as you can during the nice weather months.  The spring/summer season is chock full of festivals and activities every weekend starting with the Lilac festival in the spring.  Each festival has a different feel, and for fine art, the Corn Hill Art Festival has always been the one to attend.  Full of quality work and talented artists and artisans.  

As many of you already know, I began showing my work about a year ago.  It started at the Members show at the Phoenix Village art center, and then the Emerging artist tent in Manayunk...but the very first outdoor festival with my own booth was at Corn Hill last year (2012).  

This was our first attempt at putting up our old EZ up tent...they say one person can assemble it in about 5 minutes by themselves...[cough, cough]  We managed to do it in just under 2 hours.  

This was our first booth setup and display.  Elementary indeed!  :)

Although it is a very elementary attempt at a display, it warms my hear to see it.  If you could only imagine the excitement racing through us at the time.  It was our very first show, in our very own tent...at Corn Hill!  We hung all of the paintings with wire from the tent frame.  Every time the wind would blow everything in the tent swayed back and forth.  A few times, even passers by would help us hunker down the work when a gust would come.  

A week before the show, my dad had called and said that he saw the Corn Hill Poster for 2012 in the Democrat and Chronicle.  He said that I should submit for it next year.  Honestly, I was totally overwhelmed with the idea of just showing at this venue, that it didn't really cross my mind again.   Early on this year I received an email out of the blue with an invitation to submit a concept for the poster.  [insert happy dance].  I went to work...I had some images of the area that I had collected on previous trips to Rochester, but I was missing something.  I contacted several friends and family members from Rochester and they were ready to help.  Within a few weeks, I had several dozen photos of the Corn Hill area to help develop the concept for the piece.       

The theme happened organically.  As I was working on my composition and thumbnail sketches I noticed that I kept touching on three elements over and over again - Community, History, and Urban Life.  So, I had my theme.   Everything fell into place from there.  

History - the focal point is an old historic house that was formally the residence of an artist - how appropriate.  I didn't even find that out until I had settled on that image and I was researching.          

Community - the image is painting on a canvas covered by a map of the streets of the Corn Hill Neighborhood.  Additionally, in the mid ground, you can see newer town homes of the residents of Corn Hill.  

Urban life - in this composite, I chose to weave the iconic Rochester skyline into the background. 

Close up of the map in the background.

One evening in April, I was in my studio with my sister and Eric and the email came in that my concept was selected.  Hopping and jumping up and down ensued with small bursts of quiet squeals [the boys were sleeping so I couldn't get too rowdy].  It was such an exciting moment.  And here we are today.  

Last week was the unveiling in Rochester.  

To my friends and family, I just want to say thank you so much for supporting me and my dream to pursue my art.  I am honored and humbled that an organization such a Corn Hill would select my work to represent them and in turn become part of their rich and wonderful history.  

Genesee

"Genesee"
36x36
Oil on Canvas

Over the summer, while visiting family in Rochester, I decided to take a drive down to Charlotte and see the marina and walk along the beach on Lake Ontario.  I lived in the area in my early 20s and spent a lot of time there growing up.  I especially like the walk up the old pier.  Back in 2004, they replaced the old rickety Stutson Street Bridge with a new model.  The old bridge was metal and had those grates for the floor.  I remember riding over it in the back seat of my parents car and hearing the hum of the tires on the grates.  Sometimes, we would get stuck on it when tall boats had to pass through and it shook and swayed with traffic. I remember hearing about a police chase which headed over the bridge.  They started to raise it up to prevent the man on the run from crossing, but instead of stopping he gunned it - and made it across.  Talk about "just like the movies".

The vantage point of this piece is from the top of the new bridge looking over the marina on the Genesee River.  The river empties into Lake Ontario which you can see in the background. I started this piece during the Park Ave Fest in August, and just finished it up over the weekend.

Sold - Private Collection.

"Park and Berkeley"



"Park and Berkeley" Rochester, NY
oil on canvas
22x28

 This was a piece that I finished up a couple of weeks ago before the Park Ave. Fest in Rochester, NY.  My sister used to live in this building, and I've dined here at Jines on many occasions.  It was sold at the festival...I was sad to see it go, but know that it went to a good home.

Top of the World

"Top of the World"
20x20
Oil on Canvas
sold

While walking around High Falls, in Rochester, NY we came across the old BeeBee power plant station.  You can get a really good view of it from the Rennes bridge.  Someone at the Corn Hill festival mentioned that it was going to be torn down next year, which makes me feel grateful that I had a chance to paint it before it was gone. 

My brother-in-law, Scott, an avid adventurer - said that he and his friends call it Top of the World...with some crazy story of climbing the fire escapes to the top. So, that's what I went with for the name, and I really think it fits. 

Wings of Progress

"Wings of Progress"
24x30 Oil on Canvas
$400

This piece was a live demo that I started on day two of the Corn Hill Arts Festival. This is a street scene of downtown Rochester, NY.  It's taken from the vantage point of Exchange Street looking at the Times Square Building.  I decided on "Wings of Progress" which is the proper name of the wings on top of the building.